were to be had, and likewise took this opportunity
of forwarding despatches to the Hieronymite brotherhood, in which he
gave them a full account of the hazardous expedition to the coast of the
Honduras, and of the arrangements he had made in Mexico for the
government of New Spain, during his absence. He likewise mentioned every
circumstance from the day he had despatched Oli with an armament to the
Honduras, down to the tragical death of the latter; and concluded by
giving an account of the country and of the rich gold mines it
possessed.

In order that these passengers, on arriving at Cuba, might have
sufficient credit there, he gave them a number of valuable jewels out of
his private treasure, besides several pieces of his golden dinner
service. As chief in command of this vessel, he appointed his cousin
Avalos, whom he desired to touch at the island of Cozumel, and to carry
away prisoners from thence twenty-five soldiers, who had been left there
by some officer to levy contributions upon the inhabitants.

The vessel set sail with a favorable wind, and had alternately good and
bad weather. She had already doubled the cape of Sant Antonio, and had
arrived within seventy leagues of the Havannah, when a heavy storm
arose, in which she was wrecked off the coast. The Franciscan monks, the
captain Avalos, and a great number of others met with a watery grave;
only a few, by great exertions, saved themselves in the boat, and others
drifted on shore by clinging to pieces of wood.

The persons who thus luckily escaped soon spread the news through the
island of Cuba that Cortes, with his whole army, was still in existence.
The licentiate Pedro Lopez, who had also escaped destruction, hastened
to St. Domingo, and there related to the royal court of audience every
circumstance relative to Cortes' expedition to the Honduras, and how he
was then staying at Truxillo occupied in subduing the surrounding
country. He likewise stated that the troops were in great want of
provisions, wine, and horses; that he had despatched a vessel with a
quantity of gold to Cuba, in order to purchase these necessaries, but
which was unfortunately wrecked off the coast of the latter island, and
he himself had narrowly escaped destruction.

The news of Cortes being still alive and well spread universal joy, for
it was generally believed that he, with the whole of his troops, had
perished in the expedition to the Honduras. From Hispaniola the glad
tidi